Old and New Friends

A friend reminded me last week that this would be the last Christmas without Dillen. We can't tell you how thankful we are for this past week and the recent good news. It really saved the holiday season! Although nothing has changed the situation in Vietnam, we are SO thankful to have a Christmas celebration that will actually feel like a celebration. So on this years list of things to be thankful for...

• Many new friends arrived at their forever home! Most recently, little Reese Holder arriving in Anderson with his forever family today! Of course the precious Anya home to Simpsonville from Vietnam this past October and Zane home to Spartanburg from Vietnam in November.


• Reconnection with our friends from the past! You weren't forgotten, just stored for such a time as this! We have had many friends from our past that have been such an integrated part of our adoption, praying for us, encouraging us and loving on us during this season of our lives! We are so blessed and thankful. We are even going to have a houseful from Michigan just after Christmas!


• We are thankful for our health. Although we have finally reached the dreaded 30's, we are blessed to be healthy. Chris has spent the last few months taking some aggression out playing indoor soccer with our friends from El Tejano, and it's back to running for me. We are finally going to stop putting off that 1/2 marathon that I always said we would do.


• We are so thankful this year for our family. We just had a wonderful Christmas celebration with Dad Myers. It was so good to have him and the bulldog up for a visit during the season. We are also blessed to be so close to the McLaughlin clan. For those of you that don't know, my entire family has relocated to the Greenville area and I work with my mom and one brother. I realize how lucky I am to have such a close family. We have two beautiful nephews and the best sister-in-law anyone could ask for.


• We are thankful that we both have jobs and a nice home to live in.


• We are thankful for a church that we love, and a church that knows how to love us back.


• And mostly, we are thankful for our little girl, that waits for us in Vietnam. We try to change our attitudes on a daily basis, knowing that one day when we talk to her about her beautiful country, we don't want to communicate our hurt to her. She will have enough of her own. We are thankful that God gave us the heart for adoption, the gift of a beautiful daughter and the patience to wait.

Merry Christmas